Drinking-cup holder.



J. B. WALKER. DRINKING CUP HOLDER. APPLIoATIoN FILED 11110.28, 1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

lLZ-l .In I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. WALKER, OF RUSH SPRINGS, OKLAHOMA.

DRINKING-CUP HOLDER.

Application led December 28, 1911.

skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the class of furniture, and more particularlyit is a cabinet adapted to hold drinking cups or glasses and havingindividual compartments for the same; and the object of the invention isto simplify the construction of such a cabinet and to provide meanswhereby the cups may be automatically drained and aired after they areplaced therein. This and other' objects are accomplished by theconstruction hereinafter more fully described and claimed7 and as shownin the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of this inventioncomplete, mounted on a table. F ig. 2 is a central vertical sectionalview thereof on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 3 is a cross section on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the numeral l designates a suitable support such as atable, and 2 is the base of this cabinet made preferably round andresting on the support. Through the center of this base is an upstandingdrain tube 3 whose lower end communicates in any suitable manner as bythe pipe or hose 4 with an outlet or waste receptacle such as the seweror a bucket not shown. Upon the base is mounted a cylindrical shell `5made preferably of metal and provided with a number of rectangularopenings 6 in each of which is hinged a door 7 having an individual lock8, the shell when in place standing concentrically around the tube andbeing connected therewith by a number of rods or wires 9; and finallythe top of the cabinet is closed by a dome-shaped cover 10 which may berendered removable for clos ing the entire structure. Thereby is builtup a serviceable and ornamental cabinet,

shown in the accompanying drawings as provided with a series of uprighttiers of doors with four in each tier, and it is the purpose of thepresent invention to permit individuals such as scholars in a school tokeep in each pigeon-hole or compartment de- Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12,1912.

serial no. 668,309.

scribed below his individual drinking cup or glass so that the same maybe removed by unlocking and opening the door and after use replacedwithin the cabinet for sanitary purposes.

The internal structure of this cabinet will now be described, and Imight here say that by preference the entire device excepting possiblythe support is made of metal suitably treated to prevent rust and to beasceptic as far as possible. Cabinets of somewhat the same characterhave hitherto been made for the purpose of containing spools, letterfiles and papers, and the like; but I am not aware that they have beenof skeleton structure so as to permit the free circulation of airthrough and around the various pigeon holes and yet without permittingthe user to have access to any compartment except his own, nor that theyhave been constructed with a View of permitting the cups or utensils todrain or drip and t0 he aired as will be explained.

Each tier of compartments is formed by an upright sheet'metal strip l1bent into U-shaped cross section so that its bend forms the back of thecompartments, its sides or leaves form the sides thereof, and the frontis formed by a row of superimposed doors and the frames thereof which ofcourse are parts of the shell immediately surrounding the door-openings.The edges of said strip are brought against the inner face of the shellat opposite sides of the door openings and secured thereto in anysuitable manner as by soldering. The upright tier of compartments thusformed is divided at intervals by horizontal partitions 12 whose frontedges are secured to the shell just above each door opening and whosesides and rear edges are secured within the strip 1l, each partitionhaving an opening 13 through its body. Thereby the tier is convertedinto a series of individual pigeon holes or compartments.

Disposed upon each partition is a ring lll which may be soldered orotherwise secured thereto, and the ring has a surrounding raised flange15 which is of a size to receive the mouth of an inverted cup or glass,while the opening in the ring registers with that in the shell. I mayhere say that it is quite possible to omit the ring and rest the cupdirectly upon the shelf, or to omit the shelf and secure the ring insuitable manner within the strip, but I prefer to use both the shelf andring as described. The strip 11 is provided through its bend at a pointa little distance below each shelf with an opening y16, and through thispasess a trough 17 made substantially triangular in plan view withraised edges 18, its wide front end being secured as at 19 beneath theshelf or to the shell just below the door opening, and its narrow rearend being secured as at 20 to the central pipe 3 just beneath an inletopening 21 formed therein as shown. These various troughs standingradial to the pipe and connecting it with the interior of the shellthoroughly brace the structure and may, indeed, obviate the necessityfor the use of the brace wires 9 above described, or the wires may bedisposed only at the upper end of the pipe just beneath the dome orcover.

In use, the parts described are set up as shown in the drawings and eachindividual user unlocks a door and opens it and inserts his cup ininverted position with its mouth resting within the flange of the ring,so that any water remaining in the cup may pass through the ring and theopening in the shelf, fall onto the wider portion of the trough, and rundown the same into the tube out which it passes to the drain in a mannerwhich will be clear. The door is then closed and preferablyspring-locked, and thereafter it is impossible for any other user togain access to the compartment containing the glass that has just beenused. Meanwhile the drippings run out of the same, and the air withinvthe shell finds free circulation up and down the same between thevarious troughs and radially outward through the opening in the back ofthe strip through which said troughs pass, and when the operator comesnext to use any cup the same will be quite dry and well aerated. Fromtime to time the dome or cover may be removed and the entire interiorcleaned as by steam or pouring hot water through it, or in any suitableway.

If, as preferred, the entire device is of metal, it readily lends itselfto such cleaning and will hardly become fouled by the dampness which itcontains even though the cups may be used for other liquids than water.

It will not be necessary in this specification to amplify the details ofconstruction and ornamentation, and changes therein may be made aspreferred.

l/Vhat is claimed as new is:

l. rlhe herein described drinking cup holder consisting of an uprightcylindrical shell pierced with a series of rectangular openings disposedin vertical and horizontal rows, a hinged door closing each opening andprovided with an individual lock, a

series of upright strips bent into U-shaped cross section with the edgesof their leaves secured inside said shell at opposite sides of a tier ofsaid openings, a series of shelves whereof each is secured within thebent strip thus formed and with its front edge secured within the shelljust beneath a door and its body provided with an opening, means on eachshelf for supporting an inverted drinking cup, and means communieatingwith each opening for conveying the drippings from said cup to a drain.

2. The herein described drinking cup holder consisting of an uprightcylindrical shell pierced with a series of rectangular openings disposedin vertical and horizontal rows, a hinged door closing each opening andprovided with an individual lock, a series of upright strips bent intoU-shaped cross section with the edges of their leaves secured insideisaid shell at opposite sides of a tier of said openings, a series ofshelves whereof each is secured within the bent strip thus formed andwith its front edge secured within the shell just beneath a door and itsbody provided with an opening, the bend of said strip being providedwith slots disposed beneath the several shelves, troughs having upturnededges and with their bodies passing through said slots and their frontends secured beneath the shelf, and an upright drain pipe with whichtheir inner ends communicate for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein described drinking cup holder consisting of'a base, anupright shell mounted thereon and pierced with openings disposed intiers, a door closing each opening and provided with an individual lock,a series of upright strips bent into U-shaped cross section with theleaves of each strip standing astride a tier of openings and the bendthereof provided with transverse slots disposed beneath the severaldoor-openings,

triangular troughs having their outer ends secured within the shell andtheir bodies inclined downward and inward and passing through saidopenings with their edges spaced apart for purposes of ventilation,means connecting their smaller inner ends with a drain, and means forremovably supporting a drinking cup above the outer end of each troughand oppositea door.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES B. WALKER. Witnesses:

S. It. GLovnR, S. H. JACKSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

